Second Sunday Brunch Bunch - The Grape

After skipping a month, the Second Sunday Brunch Bunch enjoyed a wonderful meal at The Grape. I have been wanting to try this restaurant forever, especially since their Sunday brunch is one of the only times during the week that they serve what Texas Monthly named the "Best Burger in Texas."

Sarah and I got there first, and we both started with a Wounded Yellow Bird, which is made with vodka, orange juice, cranberry juice, and pineapple juice. It was delicious and really refreshing. It really reminded me of the tropical drinks you get at a beach resort. 

Once Jill and Laura arrived, we ordered a carafe of mimosas for the table. They were really good mimosas, and are only $4 a glass (and cheaper for a carafe). 

And of course we had to order the Cinnamon-Pull-Aparts to share. My only complaint is that they were more caramely than cinnamony, but that is just a personal preference. Bottom line...they were everything sticky buns should be...soft rolls with a crispy, nutty top, covered in gooey deliciousness. 

Jill, Laura, and I all ordered the Fried Chicken Biscuit, which is a "crispy fried chicken breast, cheddar cheese, honey butter on a jalepeno-cheese biscuit, napa slaw on the side" (and it also came with some sort of sour cream-type concoction on the biscuits). 

I was a little skeptical about the cheddar cheese/honey butter combo, but it was really, really good! And there is just a hint of honey butter. It was also a lot of food...I ended up taking half home to Josh. 

And because one of us had to order the famous burger...Sarah took one for the team. It is described as a "Grilled 10oz fresh ground patty, homemade peppered bacon, vermont white cheddar, nathan's horseradish half-sour pickles & dijonaise on a toasted pain au lait bun, with homemade frites on the side."

She was also kind enough to share a few bites with us. I definitely want to go back soon and order one for myself. There is nothing super special about it in theory; however, all the simple, well-made components combine to make an excellent burger!

Sarah also ordered (and shared) the Banana Pepper Hash. She was a little bit obsessed with it...in a good way :).  

And I am equally obsessed with the Fried Polenta Cheese Fritters that we ordered. They are super crispy on the outside; filled with creamy, cheesy polenta goodness; and topped with a cojita cheese sauce and sriracha. 

Oh. My. Goodness. I'm in love with them. 

I think this was the best brunch we have had so far. Or at least tied with Meddlesome Moth. 

Pitter Patter

We are officially hearing the pitter patter of little feet in the Shepherd house. As I mentioned in the last post, Ava started to take a couple steps here and there the week before she turned 10 months old. The following week, she got even more daring at school and progressively took more and more steps in a row. When I picked her up last Thursday, her teachers informed me that her record was now eight steps!

Unfortunately, by the time I would get her home at night, Ava was too tired to show off for me (why walk when you just want your mom to pick you up?). But we worked on it this weekend and finally captured her walking on video.

While it is a sad reminder of how fast Ava is growing up, I am very proud of our little walker...and she looks so cute toddling around :).

Ava - 10 Months

Ava is officially in the double-digit months...crazy! She is a ball of energy and is constantly babbling, laughing, and smiling. Ava is also super curious about everything around her. Her new word is "dat?" (meaning "what's that?"), which she usually says while pointing at something. While she sometimes asks this a bazillion times a day, it is way too cute to be annoying. It also makes me very happy knowing that she is learning so much.

She now has seven teeth, with one more on the bottom about to pop through. Also, in addition to Ava only taking one nap at daycare, she has gone down to four bottles a day during the work week. But she is still holding strong to that morning nap and fifth bottle on the weekends. I can't blame her, I like to sleep and eat more on the weekends as well :). 

As is typical, it was nearly impossible to get her to sit still for her monthly photo shoot...but we managed to get a few. 

And, she's off...

Milestones/Firsts:

• She can stand unsupported anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Ava stands for an especially long time if she is distracted by something she is holding. 
• Ava also took her first steps toward the end of last month. Her teachers at daycare told me that she "was getting very daring" and had taken two steps...before falling and bumping her head. After that, she showed off for us a few times. The funniest thing is that she would hold on to something with one hand and tap one of her feet out in front of her like she was testing the waters before taking a step. 

• Her new favorite tricks are pointing and waving. But she waves very selectively at this point. You are very special if you get a wave from Ava :). 
• As mentioned above, in addition to "dada," "mama," and "da" (dog), Ava's new favorite thing to say is "dat?" (what's that?).  Here she is asking about a phone and the dog picture in her book...

• While she doesn't say many words yet, you can tell that Ava understands a lot. For example, she makes her lip smacking noise when you ask her if she is hungry or if she is ready to eat. She also loves pointing at the eyes on her toys, and will do so on command. 
• Ava experienced her first election day (even though she is a little too young to vote). I really wanted to make her a "Baby Got Barak" onesie for daycare, but I ran out of time and had to settle for classic red, white, and blue. 

• We switched Ava to her big girl carseat last month. Evidently, I haven't taken a picture of that yet. 
• Ava rocked her first pigtails last month. When I picked her up from daycare one day, they had fixed her hair in pigtails and she was wearing a blanket for a cape. It was hilariously cute. I didn't get a picture then, but I did catch some later that night during bath time. 

You can kind of see the bump on her forehead from her falling while taking steps that day. 

Likes:

• Eating. This girl loves her some food. Betsy and Gary were shocked when they saw her eat over Thanksgiving! Her current favorites are bananas, broccoli, chicken, green beans, cheese, peaches, yogurt, and puffs. 

Nom, nom, nom...

And she will definitely let you know when she is hungry. I finally got the lip-smacking noise on video...

• She re-found her love for books last month. The "B is for Bear" book is still her favorite, and Ava also loves books with flaps to open (like the "Spot" books). She is much better (and much more gentle) at opening the flaps now. She also really likes "reading" by herself, so all her small books are favorites since they are easy to hold. 

• In addition to her little books, Ava really loves anything that rattles (even the cheap water bottle filled with buttons I made), the Melissa & Doug "Fill and Spill" toys (especially the picnic basket), and the VTech "Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker" (which plays really annoying music). 

• Ava constantly tries to get her hands on electronics...iPhones, remotes, etc. But we are really trying to avoid giving in...even when she throws a fit.  
• Her Wubbas are still prized possessions, and it is hilarious to see her hold three at a time in her crib. She also makes a hilarious "once it hits your lips" squeal when we hand her one. I really dread the day that we have to break the habit. 
• Ava LOVES playing and wrestling with her Daddy. 

Dislikes:

• The last few minutes before we head upstairs for her last bottle and bed. She is usually totally over the day by that time and is so. ready. for. bed!
• When her momma leaves the room...which makes me kind of happy :). 
• Being in her carseat for extended periods of time. 
• She still refuses to stay still on the changing table. Blerg!

Funny/Random Tidbits:

• She loves doing the "indian move" and also often makes a "lalalalalala" sound. 

Below are my other favorite pictures of our little ham from last month...

This one is blurry, but it cracks me up! Very typical of her cheesy smile. 

"What are you doing, Mom?"

(I love that she can finally fit in this "Kings of Leon" onesie, which was the first thing we bought for her.)

Cheese!

And finally, an adorable video of Josh and Ava...

Favorite Things: Rex-Goliath Cabernet Sauvignon

We all know that I have a love-love relationship with red wine. And a good bottle of cheap red wine is one of my favorite finds. 

Our most recent find is Rex-Goliath Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Since it is so cheap, Josh picked up a bottle thinking that we could use it to make sangria. However, after being pleasantly surprised with how good it was, I ended up drinking it all before we could make any sangria. 

The website describes the award-winning wine as "Dark and intense in color. Hints of cedar and oak, with layers of raspberry, plum, mocha, and currant. Smooth tannins with big fruit flavors lead to a lengthy and persistent finish." And the following is from the label: "At the turn of the century, HRM (His Royal Majesty) Rex Goliath was a treasured circus attraction. Weighing in at 47lbs, Rex was billed as the 'World's Largest Rooster.' Our wines are a tribute to Rex's larger than life personality with big, fruit-forward flavors sure to please. Our hearty Cabernet is dark and intense - it's long on fruit and short on attitude." Love it. 

It is definitely a solid bottle of red wine. I'm not saying it's the best Cab ever, but it's only $5.99 a bottle (at Kroger)...$5.99!

[Don't judge me for drinking it out of a juice glass. It's Tuesday.]

I want to try the Rex-Goliath Pinot Noir next. Whole Foods recently had it on display as one of their "Top Ten" picks...and it was two bottles for $12 something. Score. 

Thankful

Things have been a little bit hectic lately, and I realized that I have yet to post about our Thanksgiving. Josh's parents came up to Dallas this year, and we had a wonderful time celebrating Ava's first Turkey Day.

And our little pilgrim even busted out her "indian move."

 Ava got in lots of good bonding time with her Grammy and Papa. And she thinks her Papa is hilarious...

Since we were going to eat a late Thanksgiving dinner after Ava went to bed, I put out a huge spread of appetizers in the afternoon (they were all cold appetizers because the oven was full of dinner items...I really need a double oven!)...

Complete with spicy cashews, marinated mushrooms, and a cheese board (all from Central Market)...

Crackers and onion dip...

Mini BLT sandwiches with dill mayo...

And deviled eggs (I forgot the paprika, so they don't look as pretty as normal). A couple happened to disappear before I managed to take the picture :).

We also had some delicious fall sangria, complete with oranges, Honeycrisp apples, and cherries.

Once the table was set, and Ava was asleep, we were ready to eat!

Luckily, I did not have to make the turkey. Gary did an excellent job as always...wasn't it beautiful!




Betsy also made her fabulous green bean casserole to go alongside our mashed potatoes, dressing, and sweet potato casserole (I really need to post the sweet potato recipe, because it is ridiculously good!).

After dinner, Tori and Todd joined us for dessert, which included pecan pie...

Chocolate icebox pie...

And these incredibly decadent caramel apple cheesecake bars that I found on Pinterest (and I may or may not have added way more caramel sauce than the recipe called for).

It was a wonderful meal and a great night with family.

We also had a playdate the next day with Ellie, Kate, and Jack. And all the cousins had a ton of fun in the ball pit.

This picture cracks me up. Jack's face is classic!

 Kate was really sweet with Ava...

But Ava really just wanted her cheese quesadilla :). 

It was a wonderful Thanksgiving, and we truly have so much to be thankful for this year...especially when it comes to our healthy, happy, sweet baby girl.